Éric Vigner

Éric Vigner (born 27 October 1960, in Rennes, France) is a French stage director, actor and scenic designer.

He directed the Centre Dramatique National Théâtre de Lorient (CDDB-Théâtre de Lorient) in Lorient, from 1996 to 2015.

Early life and education

Vigner was born in Rennes.

Éric Vigner graduated in visual arts from the University of Brittany, France. He then studied in Paris, at the École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Techniques du Théâtre (ENSATT) and the Conservatoire national supérieur d'art dramatique (CNSAD).

Career In 1990, he founded his own theater company, Suzanne M. Éric Vigner. In 1996, he was appointed by the French Minister of Culture to direct Brittany's Drama Centre, henceforth called the CDDB-Théâtre de Lorient.

Since 1996, the graphic artists M/M Paris were in charge of the CDDB's visual communication. Besides Vigner's commitment to contemporary playwrights, including Marguerite Duras and , for which he was awarded the honour of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1998, Vigner developed a new approach to the French classics – Racine's Bajazet (Comédie-Française, 1995), Corneille's L’Illusion Comique (Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers, 1996), Victor Hugo's Marion De Lorme (Théâtre de la Ville, 1999), Molière's L’École des femmes (Comédie-Française, 1999) and Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (French-Korea cultural prize 2004) and William Shakespeare's Othello (Odéon – Théâtre de l’Europe, 2008).

In October 2010, Vigner founded an international theater academy, "The Academy", which follows the principles of a little democracy and assembles seven young trilingual actors from seven cultural backgrounds – Morocco, Romania, Mali, Belgium, South Korea, Germany, and Israel. They work on classical as well as contemporary forms of writing and present La Place Royale by Pierre Corneille, Guantanamo by Frank Smith and La Faculté by Christophe Honoré.

He has developed international collaborations to last over the years, searching for a genuine mutual cultural transmission. He has directed in different languages and cultural backgrounds: at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul, The Bourgeois Gentleman by Molière and Jean-Baptiste Lully (French-Korean Cultural Prize 2004); twice at the National Theater of Albania, Tirana, 2007,The Barber of Seville by Beaumarchais (Price Festival Bharat Rang Mahotsav, Inde 2011), and 2016, Lucrezia Borgia by Victor Hugo (Festival Theatre National de Bretagne, France 2017); at 7 Stages Theater, Atlanta, 2008, In the Solitude of Cotton Fields by Bernard-Marie Koltès (U.S. Koltès Project); in India, Gates to India Song based on The Vice Consul and India Song by Marguerite Duras (Festival Bonjour India, Bombay, Calcutta, New-Delhi, 2013).

At the Odeon Theatre in Bucharest, 2016, during Romania's campaign for Unesco's approval of The Wisdom of the Earth sculpture by Constantin Brâncuși, he staged the famous trial from 1928 – Brancusi versus the United States.

Actor 1983: L'Instruction by Peter Weiss, directed by Robert Angebaud, Church in Saint-Étienne, Rennes 1984: La mort de Pompée by Pierre Corneille, directed by Brigitte Jaques, Lierre-Théâtre, Paris 1985: Fantasio by Alfred de Musset, directed by Vincent Garanger, CNSAD, Paris 1985: Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, directed by René Jauneau, Festival de Valréas 1986: Elvire Jouvet 40 directed by Brigitte Jaques, International Tour, film by Benoît Jacquot 1988 1988: Chouans ! Film by Philippe de Broca 1988: L'Épreuve by Marivaux, directed by Jean-Pierre Miquel, Festival d'Avignon 1989: Sophonisbe by Pierre Corneille, directed by Brigitte Jaques, Théâtre national de Chaillot, Paris 1989: Horace by Pierre Corneille, directed by Brigitte Jaques, Théâtre national de Chaillot, Paris 1990: Le Misanthrope by Molière, directed by Christian Colin, Centre Dramatique National de Gennevilliers, Paris 2018: Plaire, aimer et courir vite, film by Christophe Honoré

Theatre productions 1988: La Place royale by Pierre Corneille, CNSAD, Paris 1991: La Maison d'os by Roland Dubillard, Festival d'Automne, Grande Arche de la Défense, Paris 1992: Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse, based on the works of Alphonse Allais, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Jean Genet, Roland Dubillard, Georges Courteline, Franz Marc, Quartz Brest 1993: La Pluie d'été by Marguerite Duras, Masterclass CNSAD, Quartz Brest, National and International Tour 1993: Le soir de l'Obériou – Elizavieta Bam by Daniil Charms, Theater Laboratory Anatoli Vasiliev, Moscow 1994: Le Jeune Homme by Jean Audureau, Théâtre de la Commune Aubervilliers 1994: Reviens à toi (encore) (Looking at You (Revived) Again) by Grégory Motton, Odéon Theatre, Paris 1995: Bajazet by Jean Racine, created at the Comédie-Française, Paris 1996: L'Illusion comique by Pierre Corneille, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient, National Tour 1996: Brancusi contre États-Unis, un procès historique, 1928, adapted for the stage by Éric Vigner, 50th Festival d'Avignon, Centre Georges Pompidou, Tribunal de Pau 1998: Toi cour, moi jardin by Jacques Rebotier, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient 1998: Marion Delorme by Victor Hugo, Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, National Tour 1998: La Douleur (The War) by Marguerite Duras, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient 1999: L'École des femmes (The School for Wives) by Molière, Comédie-Française, Paris 2000: Rhinocéros by Eugène Ionesco, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient 2001: La Bête dans la jungle The Beast in the Jungle, adapted by Marguerite Duras, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient, Espace Go, Montreal, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 2002: Savannah Bay by Marguerite Duras, Comédie-Française, Paris, Nationale Tour 2003: ...Où boivent les vaches by Roland Dubillard, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient, Théâtre du Rond-Point, Paris, Nationale Tour 2004: Le Jeu du kwi-jok ou Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (The Bourgeois Gentleman) by Molière and Jean-Baptiste Lully, National Theater of Korea in Seoul, Opéra-Comique, Paris 2006: Pluie d'été à Hiroshima, based on the works of Marguerite Duras La Pluie d'été and Hiroshima mon amour, 60th Festival d'Avignon, Cloître des Carmes, National Tour. 2007: Jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépareby Rémi De Vos, Théâtre du Rond-Point, Paris 2007: Le Barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville) by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, National Theater of Albania Tirana 2007: Savannah Bay by Marguerite Duras, created at Théâtre Espace Go, Montreal 2007: Débrayage by Rémi De Vos, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient 2008: In the Solitude of Cotton Fields by Bernard-Marie Koltès, 7 Stages Theater in Atlanta 2008: Othello by William Shakespeare, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient, Odéon Theatre, Paris 2009: Sextett by Rémi De Vos, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient, Théâtre du Rond-Point, Paris, Espace Go, Montreal 2010: Le Barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville) by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais 2011: La Place Royale by Pierre Corneille, CDDB - Théâtre de Lorient 2011: Guantanamo by Frank Smith, Centre Dramatique National Orléans/Loiret/Centre 2012: La Faculté by Christophe Honoré, Festival d'Avignon 2013: Gates to India Song, based on the works of Marguerite Duras's India Song and Le Vice-Consul, Festival Bonjour India, Delhi (Residence de France (ambassade)); Kolkata (Tagore House, Rabindra Bharati University); Mumbai (Prithvi Theatre et NCPA) 2014: Tristan by Éric Vigner 2015: L'Illusion comique de Corneille, CDDB-Théâtre de Lorient 2016: Brâncuși impotriva Americii, Odeon Theater, Bucharest, Romania 2017: Lukrecia Borxhia, by Victor Hugo, Albanian National Theater, Tirana 2018 : Partage de midi by Paul Claudel, Théâtre National de Strasbourg 2019 : Partage de midi by Paul Claudel, Théâtre de la Ville, Paris, Festival Croisements, China

Opera productions 2000: La Didone, opera by Francesco Cavalli, musical director Christophe Rousset, Montpellier Opera 2003: L'Empio punito, opera by Alessandro Melani, musical director Christophe Rousset, Leipzig Opera 2004: Antigona, opera by Tommaso Traetta, Montpellier Opera, Chatelet Theatre, Paris 2013: Orlando, opera by George Frideric Handel, musical director Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Théâtre de Lorient

Scenic designs 1983: L'instruction by Peter Weiss, directed by Robert Angebaud 1984: La Casa Nova by Carlo Goldoni, directed by Robert Angebaud 1984: Peinture-sur-Bois by Ingmar Bergman, directed by François Kergoulay 1985: Pusuda Le Guetteur by Cahit Atay, directed by François Kergourlay 1986: La Place royale by Pierre Corneille 1990: La Maison d'os by Roland Dubillard 1992: Le Régiment de Sambre et Meuse based on the works of Alphonse Allais, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Jean Genet, Roland Dubillard, Georges Courteline, Franz Marc 1993: La Pluie d'été by Marguerite Duras 1993: Le soir de l'Obériou - Elizavieta Bam by Daniil Charms 1994: Le Jeune Homme by Jean Audureau 1994: Reviens à toi (encore) by Grégory Motton 1996: L'Illusion comique by Pierre Corneille 2000: Rhinocéros by Eugène Ionesco 2000: La Didone, opera composed by Francesco Cavalli, musical director Christophe Rousset 2001: La Bête dans la jungle adapted by Marguerite Duras, based on the play by James Lord and the novel by Henry James 2002: Savannah Bay by Marguerite Duras 2003: ...Où boivent les vaches by Roland Dubillard 2003: L'Empio punito, opera by Alessandro Melani, musical director Christophe Rousset 2004: Le Jeu du kwi-jok ou Le Bourgeois gentilhomme by Molière, music by Jean-Baptiste Lully 2004: Place des Héros (Heldenplatz) by Thomas Bernhard, directed by at the Comédie-Française 2007: Jusqu'à ce que la mort nous sépare by Rémi De Vos 2007: Le Barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville) by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais 2007: Savannah Bay by Marguerite Duras 2007: Débrayage by Rémi De Vos 2008: In the Solitude of Cotton Fields by Bernard-Marie Koltès 2008: Othello by William Shakespeare 2009: Sextett by Rémi De Vos 2010: Le Barbier de Séville (The Barber of Seville) by Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais 2011: La Place Royale by Pierre Corneille 2011: Guantanamo by Frank Smith 2012: La Faculté by Christophe Honoré 2013: Gates to India Song, based on the works of Marguerite Duras India Song and Le Vice-Consul, Festival Bonjour India, Delhi (Residence de France (ambassade)); Kolkata (Tagore House, Rabindra Bharati University); Mumbai (Prithvi Theatre et NCPA) 2013: Orlando, opera composed by George Frideric Handel, musical director Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Théâtre de Lorient 2014: Tristan by Éric Vigner 2017: Lukrecia Borxhia, by Victor Hugo, Albanian National Theater, Tirana 2018 : Partage de midi by Paul Claudel, Théâtre National de Strasbourg

The Academy 2011 : La Place Royale by Pierre Corneille, CDDB-Théâtre de Lorient 2011 : Guantanamo by Frank Smith, Centre Dramatique National d'Orléans 2012 : La Faculté by Christophe Honoré, Cours du Lycée Mistral, Festival d'Avignon

Decorations Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (2015)